The Most Inspiring Words of Wisdom From the 2015 Commencement Addresses

Life Advice 101.

Graduation season is the most inspirational time of the year. Recently, commencement speakers across the country shared some amazing life advice for graduates as they embark on their new journeys. Even if you didn't don a cap and gown this year, you can still benefit from what some of your favorite celebrities and public figures had to say. Here are some of our favorite nuggets of wisdom from the 2015 addresses:

Michelle Obama, Tuskegee University

"At the end of the day, by staying true to the me I've always known, I found that this journey has been incredibly freeing. Because no matter what happened, I had the peace of mind of knowing that all of the chatter, the name calling, the doubting—all of it was just noise. It did not define me. It didn’t change who I was. And most importantly, it couldn't hold me back. I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values—and follow my own moral compass—then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.

"So, graduates, that's what I want for all of you. I want you all to stay true to the most real, most sincere, most authentic parts of yourselves. I want you to ask those basic questions: Who do you want to be? What inspires you? How do you want to give back? And then I want you to take a deep breath and trust yourselves to chart your own course and make your mark on the world."

Maya Rudolph, Tulane University

"Create your own destiny. Hold on to your old friends. Kiss your Mama. Admit what your dreams are. Don't beat yourself up if you don't know what you're gonna do tomorrow. But work hard and don't be lazy. And put away your damn phone once in a while. And be nice to jerks because we still don't know the criteria for getting into heaven yet."

Natalie Portman, Harvard University

"The most fulfilling things I've experienced have truly been the human interactions. It's a cliché because it's true—helping others ends up helping you more than anyone. Getting out of your own concerns and caring about someone else's life for a while reminds you that you are not the center of the universe."

Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Westfield State University:

"The Humans of New York idea eventually became successful after years of working every single day. The work didn't follow the idea—the idea followed the work because I didn't wait until I had a perfect idea. I went out and started working every day and I evolved the idea from that. There's so many people in this world that love to plan. They're planning their big dream, they're planning their big company because it's so comfortable to plan. It's so safe to plan. It doesn't take any putting yourself out there. It doesn't take any possibility of failure to plan. So if I could encourage you to do anything it's stop planning and start doing, and you'll be amazed how the plan will make itself clear."

Meredith Vieira, Boston University

"Be the left shark. Remember last Super Bowl, when the Patriots won? You may be thinking of Tom Brady's deflated balls right now, but I'm thinking of Katy Perry's half-time performance. She was on stage dancing with two sharks. The shark on the right knew every dance move and performed perfectly. But it was the left shark, the one who went rogue and danced to his own crazy beat, who stole the show. So don't ever be a conformist for convenience sake. Or, as Mark Twain put it, 'Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect.' Be the left shark."